Interlakes Summer Theatre

Escheheman's Breath

The Inter-Lakes Summer Theatre is located on Lake Winnipesaukee. ILST is the oldest professional theatre in or around Meredith, NH. Inter-Lakes Summer Theatre has been in production for over 13 years now, providing professional work and wages for theatrical actors, technicians and musicians during the summer. Because this theatre is a summer stock house (meaning the theatre only operates during the summer months) there are only 5 shows available each season.

Our shows have always been about bringing people together, where else but at the theatre can you come together for two hours, seated in the dark and find your mood changed, your spirit uplifted and be moved to cry and cheer for actors and the emotion of the moment.

Inter-Lakes Summer Theatre
PO Box 1607, Rte. 25
Meredith, NH 03253
(603) 279-9933
http://interlakestheatre.com/

Blue Corn Expressions

The Connecticut Lakes Region

New Hampshire’s Connecticut Lakes Region is wonderfully unique in many ways. Unlike the White Mountain region, it is relatively flat with beautiful boreal forest and meadering streams that offer the best fishing in NH and some of the most beautiful unspoiled wilderness you will find anywhere.

It is here that the mighty Connecticut River is born, forming in it’s path the Third, Second and First Connecticut Lakes and man-made Lake Francis.

The village of Pittsburg, once its own independent country known as the " Indian Stream Territory" is now the largest township in the United States, with over three hundred thousand acres of timberland, mountains, lakes, streams and forest trails.

So Much Ice, So Little Time

Nordic Skating Rage Takes Hold in NH
Stephanie Johannsen

If you love to ski, you'll remember last winter as the winter with no snow. But some folks remember it as the winter of "So much ice, so little time!"

From Christmas week to late March, New Hampshire was an outdoor ice skater's paradise. There were way too many frozen lakes, and not enough winter days to

visit them all. However, those of us newly obsessed with the sport of "Nordic Skating" did find the time to cruise Lake Sunapee,Newfound, Big Squam, Little Squam, and others too numerous to mention.

What's Nordic Skating? It's cross-country ice skating across frozen lakes, rivers or canals. Nordic Skating originated in Sweden and Holland centuries ago, as an essential form of transportation for farmers trapped on their farms by roads that were impassable for much of the winter. With the advent of modern highways, Nordic Skating is no longer an essential tool for survival, but it's exploding in popularity as a recreational sport across northern Europe ... and across northern New England as well.

What sets Nordic Skating apart from ordinary ice skating? First, the setting. Nordic Skating can take you into a remote winter wilderness, surrounded by natural

splendor. Second, the equipment. Unlike hockey and figure skates -- which work best within minutes of the Zamboni exiting the rink -- Nordic Skates were designed for the rough, bumpy and even snow-covered ice of the hundred-mile-long lakes outside Stockholm.

You might say that Nordic Skates are the all-terrain "mountain bikes" of the ice skating world. But it's not a perfect analogy. True, Nordic Skates go where other skates can't, just as mountain bikes take you where road bikes can't. Where the analogy falls apart is the speed factor. On the road, mountain bikes are slower. But on smooth ice, Nordic Skates are twice as fast as conventional ice skates. How can this be? Without getting too technical, Nordic Skates glide on top of the ice, whereas conventional skates dig deep gouges in the ice, wasting your energy. So save your hockey and figure skates for the indoor rink, because on outdoor ice, Nordic Skates rule!

Nordic Skating comes in two flavors: groomed trails and "wild skating". Groomed trails, like those on Little Squam Lake in Ashland and Lake Morey in Fairlee, Vermont are maintained by volunteers or by nonprofit groups like the Upper Valley Trails Alliance. There's free parking, free admission, and skaters of all ages are welcome. The Morey and Little Squam trails are the longest and second-longest groomed ice trails in the United States. How lucky we are! Except compared to Sweden, where groomed trails run as long as 50 miles from city to city.

Wild skating happens when weather conditions conspire to surface the lakes with miles of smooth black ice -- either in early winter right after freeze-up, or in midwinter after a thaw-freeze cycle. When black ice makes its appearance, the word goes out via the Nordic Skating email list. Groups of skaters converge on the biggest and best ice sheets. They break out their Scandinavian-made ice testing poles and begin probing the ice for thickness and strength. Then away they go.

Uneasy about doing your own ice testing? Then the best bet is to join one of the Wild Skating tours organized by Nordic Skater of Norwich, Vermont. There is no cost for the tours themselves, but participants who do not have Nordic Skates will need to rent them. The rental fee is $20 per day, and instruction is provided. For safety reasons, hockey and figure skates are not permitted on Wild Skating tours. (ed. note: You'll probably get into trouble and have to turn back early -- which is every tour leader's nightmare: Send the ill-equipped skater home alone? Or abort the tour and make everyone turn around?)

Wild Skating tours are organized on short notice, in response to changing weather and ice conditions. Meeting place and time are typically chosen 24 to 48 hours before the tour date, and are announced to the Nordic Skating email list. To join the list, email info@nordicskater.com.

Tour leader Jamie Hess has been skating on Nordic Skates for the past 8 years. Before that, he used to cross-country ice skate for miles in hockey skates. It was way too painful, and too much work! Compared to hockey and figure skates, Nordic Skates give you double the glide for the same amount of effort. Plus the boots are warmer, more comfortable, they support your ankles better, and they're way easier to put on and take off. In fact, you can put the boots on indoors and walk and drive in them. The blades clip on and off just like skis. So you never have to expose your fingers or toes to the cold winter air. Nordic Skates really put the fun back into skating for those of us who thought we'd never want to ice skate again!

A quick word about the boots, because they're "key". Cross-country ski boots designed for "skate-skiing" have been refined over the last 15 years to the point where they offer the perfect combination of warmth, support and light weight. A good pair of cross-country boots is your key to enjoying three different sports: skate-skiing, Nordic Skating, and off-season "roller skiing" on two-wheeled skis that roll down paved or dirt roads. Once you have the boots, you can acquire the skis, skates and rollers one at a time, or splurge and get the whole shebang all at once.

What's fun about Nordic Skating? For some, it's the speed. Nordic Skating can be as fast and efficient as riding a skinny-tire road bike. But for most of us, it's the ease of movement, the ease of learning the sport, and the ease of getting to a spectacular wilderness setting. . . and the freedom. Unlike a narrow road or hiking trail, skating down the middle of Newfound or Sunapee feels like soaring along a "flyway" two miles wide. You can glide with the wind, or bank and wheel and turn graceful circles hundreds of yards across. In fact, Nordic Skating may just be the closest sensation to flying that you'll ever experience.

Speaking of flying, some Nordic skaters bring along hand-held sails and kites. With the right wind conditions, skate-sailors can reach amazing speeds, and even become airborne. But that's another whole story.

Related Links:

New Hampshire has great lodging and restaurants throughout the state. Here are some of our recommendations in the places mentioned in this story:

Newfound Lake Area Lodging

Squam Lake Area Lodging

A Closer Look at Squam

Christine Randall

For many people, when you mention “The Lakes Region,” an image of Lake Winnipesaukee with its hustle and bustle comes immediately to mind. But there are several other lakes in the Lakes Region which have their own unique characteristics and offer a quieter charm. Squam Lake, located primarily in Holderness, is one of them, and it is counted among my favorite places in the heart of New Hampshire.

Squam Lake is big enough to accommodate a variety of boats, from kayaks and canoes to motor boats and pontoons, but small enough to enable the boaters to hear and appreciate the lonely cry of the loon. With a daytime speed limit of 40 mph (20 mph at night), boat enthusiasts can cruise and enjoy the lake at a fairly leisurely pace, without intimidating or intruding on smaller crafts. There is a sense of sharing and camaraderie on the lake as opposed to the sense of competition which is often evident on some of the larger lakes in the region.

With a long-standing reputation of being a pristine lake in a beautiful unspoiled setting, ringed by a variety of mountain ranges and hills, Squam has long attracted loyal visitors year after year. It is this reputation that reportedly attracted Hollywood producers in 1981 when they chose Squam as the setting for the classic award-winning movie, “On Golden Pond.”

Squam Lake is actually two lakes, Big Squam and Little Squam. Little Squam, measuring about 408 acres and offering just over four miles of shoreline, lies between the towns of Ashland and Holderness. The average depth of Little Squam is twenty-three feet, with the deepest point measured at about eighty-four feet in depth. The Ashland Town Beach, along with a fine example of a New England covered bridge, are located at Little Squam. A narrow channel leads under U.S. Route 3 in Holderness to Big Squam, which measures 6,765 acres and has just over sixty miles of shoreline. The average depth of Big Squam is thirty-six feet, with the deepest spot about 98 feet deep.

According to Chris Devine, Executive Director of the Squam Lakes Association, 45% of Squam Lake is located in Holderness. The lake also touches the towns of Ashland, Center Harbor, Sandwich, and Moultonboro. There are thirty-five islands on Squam, twenty of which are inhabited to some extent, according to Devine. The Squam Lakes Association owns two of the larger islands, Moon Island and Bowman Island, and low-impact camping (by reservation) is allowed. Weddings and non-denominational religious services and are held during the summer months on Church Island, which is managed by the Chocorua Chapel Association. With twenty coves and three bays distributed around the lake, Squam never seems crowded, even on a busy summer’s day.

The Squam Lakes Association was formed in 1904, with its stated mission being to “protect the Squam Lakes watershed through conservation, education, and outreach programs.” Together with private landowners and area conservation groups, the SLA has endeavored to keep Squam from becoming over-developed and to prevent the lake from losing its unique charm and quiet atmosphere. Devine attributes the special ambience of Squam to the ethics and attitudes that people in the area have demonstrated towards the lake.

“There is a great commitment and attention towards conservation efforts in this area,” Devine notes. “Much of the land around Squam has been owned by many generations of the same families, and people seem to want to conserve the integrity of the shoreline. This gives Squam the appearance of not being over-developed.” Devine further explains that the quieter nature of Squam as compared to Lake Winnipesaukee is due in part to historical transportation issues, as the railroad lines for the Squam area ended at Ashland, making Squam less accessible to travelers and thus slower to develop than other lake destinations.

Public boat access to Squam is available at the public ramp located on Route 113 in Holderness (just across from the Squam Lakes Science Center) and at the headquarters of the Squam Lakes Association on Route 3. The ramp on Route 113 was donated to the State of New Hampshire by the SLA, and the land for parking was donated by the Science Center. Parking is free. Access at SLA headquarters is limited to only low-impact boats such as kayaks, canoes, sailboats, and boats with motors of 25 horsepower or less. Holderness residents, campers, boat renters, and SLA members can park for free, and other boaters can park for the day for $5.00.

If you don’t have access to a boat or just want to take a leisurely guided tour, various options are available. Guided tours are offered by the Squam Lakes Science Center. Recently renamed “Explore Squam,” the tours leave daily from the docks located next to Walter’s Basin restaurant (named for the elusive fish in the Golden Pond movie), and vary from 11⁄2 hour scenic tours similar to the Squam Lake Tours to longer educational tours led by a Science Center naturalist.

With any luck, you will get to see the loons and hear for yourself their haunting cries and eerie laughter. For some reason, loons always seem to know when I want to take their picture. As soon as I pick up the camera, they dive underwater, only to re-appear a few minutes later in a totally different spot usually several hundred feet away. They are incredible underwater swimmers.

According to a recent loon census conducted by volunteers with the Loon Preservation Committee and the Audubon Society, more than seventeen pairs of territorial loons, ten non-territorial adult loons, and one immature loon (two years old) were located on Squam Lake. Seven of the pairs nested, producing eight loon chicks. Nesting areas are posted with signs warning people to keep their distance in order to give the chicks a chance to survive. Loons are estimated to live between 25 and 30 years; the Common Loon in its present form has been on earth for over 22 million years.

The loons and cormorants, along with an occasional heron, compete with fishermen for the wide variety of fish in the lake, including salmon, perch, cusk, sunfish, pickerel, rainbow trout, lake trout, and bass. Annual fishing licenses may be purchased by residents and non-residents at many nearby stores and marinas, or online. Non-residents can also buy temporary licenses for one day, three days, or seven days.

Several mountain ranges surround Squam Lake, including the Squam Range with East and West Rattlesnake, Mt. Percival and Mt. Morgan in Holderness and Sandwich to the north and west, and Red Hill to the east in Moultonborough. On a clear day you can also see Plymouth Mountain in Plymouth to the west and Mount Chocorua near Conway several miles to the northeast. Rattlesnake Mountain is a popular and easy hike offering great views of the Squam Lakes. At the base of Rattlesnake Mountain, you can find Rockywold-Deephaven Camps, a family camp located on Squam Lake since 1897. During the winter, ice is harvested from the lake in an annual tradition to provide refrigeration for the old-fashioned ice boxes in the cabins.

There is something special about Squam – its peaceful ambience, natural beauty, water quality, variety of wildlife, and traditions – all of which provide visitors and residents alike an enjoyable feeling of escape from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

Reprinted with permission from HeartofNH.com

Related Links

A Favorite Spot on Squam

LakeThere's Something About Squam

A Closer Look at Squam

Stretched for Glistening Miles